Thank you Janet!!!
Forty- five years ago, 19-year-old Janet Dorsey was at the Palatine American Legion with her veteran dad. They were attending a Friday night fish fry when a friend of her father stopped to say hello. The friend, a volunteer at St. Joseph’s Home, suggested to Janet that she should apply for a job at our Home. We are eternally grateful that Janet followed his advice!
Last weekend, Janet celebrated 45 years as a CNA at our Home, making her our employee with the longest consecutive service. She was presented with an assortment of flowers and a wall of thank you notes from her current Residents. Her love for the elderly began at a young age. As a young teenager, she often helped her grandmother. Once she began here, she is quick to say, “I had no desire to work anywhere else.”
Janet’s husband of 30 years, Ed couldn’t be more supportive. Janet works the overnight shift which can be very disruptive to any family, but Ed understands Janet’s commitment and works very hard to support her any way that he can.
The Residents that receive care from Janet, had many kind words when asked about her, some of which included:
“Janet goes the extra mile, even when her shift is about to end, she’ll never say no to lending a helping hand.”
“With Janet, people always come before reports.”
“Her kindness and loving attitude are shared with absolutely everyone, she is a fantastic woman.”
“If I could do anything for her, it would be to give her time off”
Janet’s smile can light up a room, or the wing of rooms that she oversees. On any given night, you can find her playing scrabble game with a Resident who can’t sleep, or chatting with a Resident – gently calming their worries about anything that is bothering them, or doing anything she can to help any Resident.
Janet’s goal is to work here for 5 more years, until she reaches 50 years! Although she says it’s not work for her, “This is my home away from home. The Residents keep me going. I love them and they love me back.”
Janet’s 45th Anniversary